Heir of Moons
by Elle's Bells 88
Summary: Fifth chapter now up. The path to Sirius and Dumbledore is now clear and she's traveling down that path. New dimensions of Remus' guilt are uncovered. Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own only Karmina, Mr. Grossman and the other characters you do not recognize from Potterdom. A note, Amycus Carrow and Eldred Jugson are known Death Eaters though I do beef out their personalities a bit. Amycus' surname is not confirmed; I give props to the Harry Potter Lexicon for the hint. I gave Jugson his first name. Don't worry. More familiar characters are one their way. Maya Angelou owns the segment of the poem below. Oh and a huge thanks goes out to Tawa for being my beta. . .again. Her input meant everything!

_"The caged bird sings  
with a fearful trill  
of things unknown  
but longed for still  
and his tune is heard  
on the distant hill  
for the caged bird  
sings of freedom."_

_-Maya Angelou_

The morning of Karmina's sixteenth birthday dawned like all of her other birthdays-without recognition. It was rare for her to remember the day herself, let alone get any outward acknowledgement. She woke with the sun; it was a clear day though that was of little consequence to her. After stretching the kinks from her back, she swung her legs over the side of her cot and slipped her cold feet into a pair of moldy, tattered slippers. She pulled her mass of chestnut curls into a messy bun and pulled on a gray bathrobe she had picked up from the Red Cross. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she stumbled into the tiny, grungy kitchen and began pulling out a carton of eggs from the refrigerator.

By the time she had prepared two plates of eggs and had started on the coffee, her "guardians" lumbered into the kitchen. Eldred Jugson, the bigger of the two, fell into one of the spindly kitchen chairs which groaned under his enormous weight. He cradled his bald, fat, misshapen head in his hands moaning about "bloody hangovers". Amycus Carrow, who hadn't gone out with Eldred the night before, leaned against the counter, grinning evilly at Karmina. His cool gaze sent a shiver down her spine as he brought up his hand to stroke the side of her face. She felt tears prickle behind her eyes but bit them back, focusing on the coffee maker. "And how are we today muffin?" he asked in a harsh, grainy voice. She didn't speak; she never spoke.

Keeping her head down, she brought the two plates to the table and placed one in front of Eldred and the other in front of Amycus' normal spot. Rolling his eyes, Amycus took the seat. "And what about forks ya dozy munter," he exclaimed, banging a fist on the table. Karmina immediately placed the utensils on the table, deciding to keep as far away from him as possible for the rest of the day. Once the coffee was ready, she placed the pot on the table along with cream, sugar, mugs and spoons. "Get outta my sight!" Amycus spat, pouring liberal amounts of sugar into his coffee. She didn't waste time, scurrying to her "room."

She didn't get up from her bed before she heard the lock click in the door signifying Eldred's and Amycus' departure. After checking through the kitchen window that they were in fact gone, she gathered up a brownish frock and graying, threadbare undergarments before walking to the bathroom. After her shower, she pulled on her second-hand clothes and gazed at herself in the mirror. Objectively and at her most truthful, Karmina would describe herself as exceedingly average. She had dull, brown eyes and thin lips. While her hair, if cared for properly, could have been lovely, it instead fell in limp curls. Her face was too angular but not completely unfortunate. She was short for her age and too thin making her look at least three years younger than she really was. For the most part though, no one really looked at her. For the most part, no one noticed poor little Karmina in flat 118, alone scared and silent.

"Sixteen" she thought to herself. "Today, you are sixteen." Drawing herself up, she braided her hair into one long rope that hung down her back and prepared for her daily chores. Her "guardians" left a daily list of tasks she was to complete before they got home in the evening; these were to be carried out in addition to cleaning the flat and cooking. She ambled into the kitchen and found the list sitting on the table next to the dirty breakfast dishes. She poured herself a cup of coffee and put a piece of bread in the toaster.

Today, she was to deliver packages to rooms 113, 223, and 316- Mr. Dougle, Mr. Tibbin, and Mr. Grossman respectively. While the very sight of Mr. Tibbin and Mr. Dougle frightened her, she had a soft spot for Mr. Grossman. He was the only person in her building to ever show her any kindness. She was also expected to sign for packages in the afternoon and make sure the delivery truck stopped by the launderette next door. Though Karmina had never been privy to any information on Eldred and Amycus' career, she had no doubt it was highly illegal. It also required them to be gone often. Their absences had become much more numerous over the past three years and she couldn't help but think they were up to no good.

The bathroom, bedrooms, and kitchens also needed a good washdown. These chores would no doubt leave her busy. She washed down her toast with coffee and hopped to work. After washing the dishes and scrubbing the bathroom and kitchen, Karmina decided to deliver the packages. She delivered first to Mr. Dougle who leered at her suggestively, causing her to move away as fast as possible. Mr. Tibbin wasn't at home so she left the package with Viviane, his very hermaphroditic looking mistress.

Mr. Grossman was waiting for her and opened the door with a smile. "Thank you m'dear," he greeted, stepping aside to let her in. She nodded hello and handed him the package which he set on the floor. "I have a nice pot of tea brewing if you have a few minutes." Karmina smiled and held up ten fingers. "Yes," he chuckled, "I'll keep it to ten minutes."

He brought out the tea a moment later along with some jam filled biscuits. "You need to put some more meat on those bones," he commented, eyeing her thin arms. She blushed and took a bite of one of the biscuits. He spent the rest of the visit explaining how he found the tea. A friend of his, lovely Nigerian woman, gave it to him as a gift. It was a blend of lemon balm. . . The one-sided conversation was peppered with his worried queries-Was she getting enough to eat, drink? Was the flat a bit too cool, too warm?

After exactly ten minutes, Karmina finished off the last of her tea and stood. "At least take some biscuits for yer self," Mr. Grossman pleaded handing her a few wrapped in a napkin. She nodded and smiled before heading back to 118. She got there just in time to sign for some packages and started in on Eldred's bedroom. It took a good hour and a half to wade through the mess and by then it was a couple hours past noon. Amycus' room was more neat and she managed in just under an hour. Her room was only an over-sized utility closet and therefore needed no cleaning.

She had been checking out the window periodically to see that the truck made it to the launderette but it still hadn't arrived. Waves of uneasiness overtook her. Anything that went wrong was somehow always pinned on her and Eldred and Amycus had a lot riding on this delivery. It would not be good if it did not show up. After giving the house one more once-over and hoovering the living room carpet, she sat down for a small amount of rest.

She tried to absorb herself in a book but found her apprehension impeded on her concentration. Once evening arrived, Karmina was forced to begin preparing dinner though she knew food would be the furthest thing from anyone's mind. Amycus and Eldred would no doubt be home within the hour and the news of the missing truck would certainly send them into a rage. She kept glancing out the window as she set a pot on the stove to boil. She poured canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, oregano, salt and pepper into a saucepan and set it to simmer.

The smell of the herbs calmed her somehow and she let a little warmth flow from her into the food. Ever since her youth, she had known she was different. Strange things happened she could never explain. Had she ruminated on it, she might have put her special abilities and the long, slender sticks she sometimes saw Amycus and Eldred carrying together. She had never done this however and kept her secret to herself like a hidden piece of Belgian chocolate.

Slowly, the strange power seemed to take over and claimed her voice. She remembered it well, a particularly memorable beating. She had been eleven and had remembered crying out as a belt collided with her thigh. Eldred, the veins in his forehead throbbing, had screamed at her to be silent or everything would be worse. The power in her took away her voice, knowing it would only cause her more pain. Ever since, she had not uttered a word except in song. Sometimes, when she was all alone, she could sing.

She poured a box of spaghetti into the pot of boiling water and cut up a cold sausage, sliding the chunks into the sauce. Just as she was adding a little more black pepper to the simmering sauce, she heard Amycus and Eldred's car pull up. The ignition puttered out and Karmina braced herself for the blow. Her bruises had just recently started to heal from the previous "mis-hap"-one much smaller than the missing truck.

She felt her legs buckle as a key turned in the lock. The door opened and Eldred and Amycus stepped in, kicking off their shoes and stepping into the kitchen. She didn't turn to see them, hoping she could turn invisible. She willed herself, told her body to become transparent, to disappear. Eldred lumbered off to his room to change into something more comfortable while Amycus checked the packages by the door. She felt him come closer, felt his hand rest on the small of her back as he leaned in sickeningly close to smell the sauce. "And how was our day princess?" he hissed. She felt the stomach squirm. "The truck made it I trust?"

Karmina couldn't move. She stood stalk still, her hand clutching the wooden spoon still half immersed in the sauce. "Well?" Amycus prompted, an edge creeping into his voice. Her breath caught in her throat and she felt sweat trickled down her forehead. Closing her eyes, she slowly shook her head "no".

The reaction was automatic. With a mighty blow, Karmina crashed into the wall, the scalding pot of water falling on her. Amycus stood over her, his face red and his eyes narrowed. "You worthless, you good-for-nothing, you, you," he seemed at a loss for words. He brought his leg up and with an arching motion, brought it crashing into her abdomen. She doubled over in pain but said nothing. She was slowly feeling consciousness leave her. Her skin burned and her head ached.

Hearing the racket, Eldred came back in, still pulling a shirt over his heavy torso. "What happened?" he asked dumbly.

"The truck never made its delivery."

"Bloody hell, some wofoidhre witch she is." Karmina wasn't sure she had heard correctly. Wofoidhre? Witch? Since when was she a witch, and what on earth was a wofoidhre? She wasn't given much time to ponder his comment as she felt herself lifted forcefully to her feet and thrown across the room. The fun was just beginning. As she collided with the wall, the blackness overpowered her.

When she awoke, she was in her "room" with her dress still on. She didn't know why she had awoken; with the amount of damage Eldred and Amycus had done, she should not have awoken again. Something had welled up inside her, however, forcing her from unconscious. She knew what she had to do; something she had needed to do for some time-run away. She pulled a small trunk from under bed. It was the only relic of her former life. Surprisingly, only she was able to open it, much to Amycus' and Eldred's annoyance. It swung open with ease and she brought out a small, wrinkled piece of paper-her birth certificate.

_Karmina Eileen Lupin _

_Born: the second of August in the year of our lord 1981_

_Father: Remus John Lupin_

_Mother: Madeline Rose Lynch Lupin_

_2.85 kilograms, 45 centimeters_

_Home: London_

It was the only evidence that she had had parents once and because of this, she treasured it more than any other of her meager possessions. It was also her only clue as to _where_ she would find her family. Not having seen another birth certificate before, she didn't think the mere pronouncement "London" odd. After checking to make sure it was safe, she clicked the small trunk closed and pulled clothes from under her bed. She needed to cover up the burns and bruises as much as possible if she was going to make a safe getaway. The last thing she needed was a nosy clerk to slow her journey. Last night's beating had been the worst she had ever endured. More troubling, however was Eldred's comment. How could she be a witch and a whatever-you-call-it and what would that have to do with anything?

Though it was still summer, she pulled on a large, white wool jumper and a pair of black leggings. She pushed her feet into a pair of tattered trainers and slowly, cautiously exited her "room". She made her way softly to the kitchen, quickly finding the coffee can in which Eldred kept his spare money. She had seen him hiding the cash on several occasions. She slipped the crumbled wad into the pocket of her jumper and, with trunk in hand, crept toward the door, inching it open silently.

The sun was not yet up and she couldn't guess it was later than four. She made her way to the train station, avoiding the dodgy alleyways. For some reason, her pain was kept at a dull ache like something was somehow suppressing it to allow her to move foreword.

She finally made it to the train station where she was met with a dozing teller. She knocked sharply on the window with her knuckles alerting the portly man to her presence. She mimed the need of a pen and paper which the man, looking at her strangely slid her through the small slot. She scribbled the words _London, soonest available train_ as quickly as possible, sliding him the paper and pen. He nodded, arching his eyebrows. She pointed at her throat and then shook her head. The man seemed to understand.

"Next available train to London leaves at five o'clock, in a half hour. Single ticket'll cost you a hundred and fifty pounds." He said all of this very loudly as if he thought she was also deaf. She slid the bills to him and accepted the ticket. Judging from his sympathetic stare, she looked a mess.

She hurried to the bathroom before he could comment. Looking in the mirror she nearly gasped. Her hair was falling from its braid and an angry welt stood out against her cheek. She had not remembered a blow to the face. Her lip was puffy and sported a line of dried blood. Luckily, nothing more could be seen, covered up by her clothes. She set down her trunk and ticket and let loose her braid. With deft fingers, she redid the braid and washed the dried blood from her face.

With a sigh she hurried out, hoping to find a little breakfast. She made it to the train with a cup of tea and a large, dripping Danish. Collapsing into a seat, she felt her body go limp and a sharp pain flared, quickly cooled by her unnamed power. She didn't think it would suppress the pain much longer.

She must have fallen asleep for she awoke to the announcement that they were pulling into Charring Cross Station. She supposed London was London and Charring Cross was as good a station as any. She gathered up her trunk and stood up. She was numb all over and didn't feel like she would make it very far. The train pulled in and she slipped off quickly, not hearing the announcement over the speakers. "Everyone stay put-not safe-stay put!" Once again, nobody noticed Karmina.

She stepped out into the glinting morning sun only to be pushed down forcefully by a rough hand. "I thought we got the message to the train!" the voice exclaimed in a low voice. She struggled against the hand. "Stay put my dear; I won't let you get hurt." His voice was comforting and she felt herself give in; she wouldn't be able to over-power him anyway. She looked up to see a street full of people in long robes carrying sticks. Some of them wore dark robes with masks over their faces. Bright lights shot from the many sticks; it looked like some sort of battle.

With a crack she felt herself being squeezed through a long rubber tube. She felt her lungs constrict and a hand tightened around her forearm. "It'll be over in a minute m'dear." Just as she felt she was going to die the feeling subsided and she found herself outside a normal looking telephone booth. The man led her inside and dialed something. A cool automated voice welcomed them and asked for the man's name and business. "Arthur Weasley and guest," he said quickly. "Battle, safety." Two badges spit out and Arthur pinned one on himself and handed the other to Karmina, letting go of her arm. She pinned it on, her head becoming foggy. Once they were in the grand entrance, the man, Arthur, turned to her. "What's your name dear?" Karmina shook her head, touching her throat.

Again, she mimed for a pen. With a wave of his wand, a quill and parchment materialized. She blinked a few times but took the tools none the less. Not knowing quite what to write she scribbled her father's name, hoping against hope this man would know something about him. Something in her told her he would.

She handed Arthur the parchment. He studies the words for a few minutes, not knowing quite what to say. Remus Lupin? True it wasn't a common name but why was some muggle girl looking for him? Could she be a Death Eater in disguise? "Why are you looking for Remus Lupin?" he asked, his voice sounding harsher than he had meant it to be. She winced but grabbed the quill and parchment again. "I'm his daughter," she scribbled hurriedly. She bent down and set the trunk still clutched in her other hand on the floor, opening it. She drew out her birth certificate, handing it to Arthur.

He studied it, wondering what to make of it. "Come with me dear," he murmured, all thoughts of the ensuing battle disappearing. She followed him, her legs now moving much more slowly. Arthur looked back at her worriedly. "What happened to you?" he murmured, half to himself. They arrived at a long wall of fireplaces. Arthur pulled out a small bag and threw in some dust. The flames went green and he stuck his head inside. In a soft voice so no one would hear he murmured "Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix."

Luckily, Remus Lupin was sitting at the kitchen table, discussing something softly with a raven-haired boy and a woman with bubble-gum colored hair. "Remus!" Arthur exclaimed. Remus' head shot up, looking at the balding wizard in surprise.

"Something wrong Arthur?" he asked, worry filling his eyes.

"Yea, what's going on Mr. Weasley?" the boy asked.

"No, no-well, sort of. Listen Remus, there's a girl here. I found her coming out of Charring Cross Station in the middle of a battle. She's battered up, big bruise, bloody lip. I brought her to the Ministry; didn't feel I had many options. I asked her who she was but she can't talk. She claims, it's so ludicrous, but she claims you are her father. She's looking for you!" The three at the table looked at him in shock. Arthur looked between them, his gaze finally settling on the werewolf, waiting for his reply. Just then, he heard a small thud from behind him. He looked around and saw the girl had collapsed. "Just come down to the Ministry Remus. She's just fainted."

A/N: Hehehe, a cliffhanger . . .sort of. I know I'm supposed to be working on Ella's story but the idea popped into my head and I decided to distance myself from Fever Dreams/Making My Way for a little while. Please give me your input. REVIEW!


	2. Waking Up

Disclaimer: Bear with me as I recite this tired declaration. I do not own any Potter characters nor do I own much of the side/back plots; those belong in whole to JK Rowling. I do, however, own Karmina Lupin and Mr. Grossman and the main plot. Sadly, I do not own "Dreamland" from which the passage below was taken; it belongs to Christina Georgina Rossetti and I would recommend checking out the whole poem.

_**Waking Up**_

Rest, rest, for evermore  
Upon a mossy shore;  
Rest, rest at the heart's core  
Till time shall cease:  
Sleep that no pain shall wake;  
Night that no morn shall break  
Till joy shall overtake  
Her perfect peace.

-From "Dreamland" by Christina Georgina Rossetti

"I just don't understand."

"But she's here Remus. A person might be able to disguise her outward appearance but-"

"I know she's not under disguise Molly. I just don't know how she got here or how. . .how she's not dead. I just don't understand."

"We'll find out once she's woken up then won't we."

"She can't speak."

Try as she might, Karmina couldn't block out the half-muffled chatter circling over her head. She felt numb and clumsy, like she was drugged. It felt like something was slicing through her head. What she wanted most was for the voices to stop and the light to turn off. She tried to bring her arm up to her face to shield her eyes but it felt like lead. She only succeeded in bringing it up a centimeter before it fell back down to the mattress; the gesture succeeded in drawing everyone's attention however. The chatter immediately stopped much to Karmina's relief. All eyes turned to her as she forced her eyes open.

"Dim the lights," a sharp voice ordered. "I'm sure she has quite a headache." The owner of the voice, an old-ish woman with a strict look on her face, hurried over. "Give her a little room, come now Mr. Lupin. I know what I'm doing." She brought up her wand and murmured "Lumos" before shining the light into Karmina's eyes. "Hold those eyes open now dear," she ordered. Karmina was forced to comply. After performing a run of tests, the witch backed away, her hands on her hips.

"What's the diagnosis Madame Pomfrey?" the woman with bubble-gum colored hair asked eagerly.

"Well, other than her muggle-inflicted injuries, the young lady is severely magically drained. I'm not entirely sure how it happened; most witches and wizards would have stopped before it getting to this point. Something must have kicked in and gotten her this far. As for the other injuries, she's got a mild concussion, broken ribs, third-degree burns, bruises, breaks, collapsed lung- you name it, she's got it. I'd like to meet the buggers who did this to her, give them a piece of my mind." Remus cleared his throat, bringing Madame Pomfrey out of her rant. "Yes, well, the physical injuries were easy enough to heal though she'll still be feeling the after affects for some time. Magic can only do so much. I've left a few potions she'll need to take hourly before she's up and about. That shouldn't be till the end of the week at the very earliest. Keep her from draining herself magically if you can. If you have any problems or questions, you know where to find me." With a swirl of her robes, Madame Pomfrey left the room, walking down the rickety stairs to the fireplace.

Remus turned slowly to face his daughter who was currently staring directly at him. She looked more like Madeline than she did Remus though she had inherited his ears and nose. She was short like Madeline but lacked the womanly figure his wife had posessed. Though he knew her to be sixteen, she didn't look it. She looked more like a twelve or thirteen-year-old.

She bit her bottom lip nervously, dropping her gaze. The potions seemed to be fading a bit so she could move a little easier. As discreetly as she could, she looked around the room at the other inhabitants. The man who had taken her from Charring Cross was shifting uneasily next to a plump red-head who was gazing at her sympathetically. A black-haired boy stood next to a shorter woman with bright pink hair and behind him stood an extremely tall, red-haired boy. Next to him was a bushy-haired girl with her hand grasped around the red-head's forearm nervously.

Not knowing quite what else to do and still feeling a little fuzzy, she mimed the familiar need for a pen and paper. Arthur immediately complied and she took the parchment and quill eagerly. In a messy, awkward hand, she scrawled _Hi_ and passed the paper to the graying man who she assumed was her father. He took it with a look of apprehension on his sunken features. He looked like he was about to fall down sleeping at any moment. Reading the note, his face broke into a grin and he let out a strangled laugh. "Hello, I-I'm Remus Lupin," he put out his hand to be shaken but decided against it and bent down to give her an awkward hug. She shrunk back from the gesture though she found it oddly pleasant.

Living with Amycus and Eldred, she hadn't been exposed to any signs of gentility or care. He stepped back immediately as if she were on fire. She held out her hand for the parchment but he misunderstood and shook her hand, blushing. He was certainly a bumbling sort of fellow she thought. She rolled her eyes and gestured at the parchment. He handed it to her and she wrote a second message under the first. _Where am I?_

"How do I explain this?" Remus ran a hand over his face. "You're at the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, the group fighting against You-Know-Who." She stared at him blankly. "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?" she arched her eyebrows. "Voldemort? Right, well, Merlin," he looked around the room for a little support. "You don't know anything do you?" Understanding his meaning, Karmina shook her head slowly. He was about to explain further when she brought her hand quickly to her head, wincing. The pain was coming back with a vengeance.

"Your potion must be wearing off," Remus put in, rushing to the table where Madame Pomfrey had arranged the multi-colored bottles of potions. "We should talk about this later; you should sleep some more." He brought over a purple vile and a deep red one. "The purple one's a sleeping drought and the red one's is a pain suppressant. I'd recommend taking the red one first." He handed her the red vile and she poured it down her throat. She gagged and Remus laughed. "Yes, it's not cherry flavored or anything." She accepted the purple vile with a little more apprehension but downed it, too tired to ask any questions about potions and this Voldemort bloke.

When she woke the second time, the room was dark and silent. For a moment, she thought herself to be back in 118. Looking around, however, she found this to be untrue. The room was large and filled with musty antiques. The bed in which she was currently positioned was a large, mahogany four-poster with dusty yellow hangings. She felt like she was sleeping in a museum. Her head ached mildly but nothing like piercing pain she had felt before. She looked down at her arm and noticed a tube running into it. _So that's why I'm not screaming out in pain._ After closer inspection of the room, she noticed a figure slumped down in a chair near the door. It was none other than Remus Lupin, her father.

She groaned inwardly, wishing she could force out a sound, trying to tell herself it was okay to speak again but it was no use. She fumbled around on her bedside table and noticed a heavy book _perfect_! She could barely pick it up and had no sooner brought it off the table that it came crashing to the floor. Remus nearly jumped out of his skin at the noise. Wildly, he looked around, his gaze falling on Karmina and the book.

"You startled me." She smiled sheepishly. "Don't worry; it's all right. I suppose now is as good a time as any to explain. Then maybe you could explain some things to me?" She nodded slowly; it was a big maybe. She had not planned this far ahead. She was not ready to be safe and happy, as strange as that sounded. Though it is a welcome change, a positive change does take some getting used to. "I asked Madame Pomfrey to put the tube in your arm by the way. I didn't want to accidentally be late on a potion. It's on a timer. I hope you don't mind." She shook her head, pushing herself up against the pillows.

"Alright, I suppose I should start at the beginning?" Karmina gave a reassuring nod. "You are a witch; I am a wizard. We are in a magical house in a world of magical people." Karmina tried to hide her surprise. Yes, it made sense. It explained the strange things she was able to do but was she prepared to believe in fairy tales? She gestured for him to continue.

"Okay, there is a magical school called Hogwarts where I went to school. Next to Hogwarts is a small village- Hogsmeade. That's where I met Madeline, your mum." It took everything in Remus to continue. "I met your mum when I was visiting Hogsmeade. It was the middle of the war and, well, how do I explain this delicately? We rushed into a marriage after a whirlwind romance." Karmina didn't know why he was acting so embarrassed; it sounded incredibly romantic to her. "A week after we were married, your mum was pregnant with you. Nine months later, you were born and around four months after that-" Remus stopped. He could feel his pulse quicken at the memory. "You and your mum. . .died."

He remembered it well. He had come home, still torn up over the death of the Potters and Sirius' betrayal. His marriage wasn't going well and hiding Karmina from the Ministry was getting to be too difficult for him to handle. He had opened the door, not really wanting to walk into what was sure to be another verbal boxing match. As it turned out, simply sharing lycanthropy was not enough to create a happy marriage, go figure. He would never get the image from his mind-Madeline and Karmina lying bloody on the kitchen floor.

He jerked himself from the memory. Karmina was giving him a baffled look. "I know; I can't explain it either. I buried you and your mum. I saw you. . . Mina, where have you been for sixteen years?"

The question hung in the air like a gas, cutting off Karmina's air supply. She had been in _hell_. That's where she had been and she'd be damned if she explained it only satiate the man's appetite, even if he was her father. She turned her face to the wall. She didn't need to know any more. "Okay, I guess that's enough for now."

For the rest of the week, Remus avoided asking his daughter any questions, though the suspense was killing him. He had done his best to explain the rest of the situation to her but didn't know quite what to say. This was the wrong time to have an injured daughter come into his life. The war was in full swing and he had Harry to worry about. Luckily, only the Order seemed to know of her presence. He didn't want to deal with Ministry on top of everything else.

Karmina saw very little of her father during the day; he stayed very busy. While he said it was war business, she suspected he was avoiding her. She had had several other visitors, however. The most frequent was the black haired boy she had later come to know as Harry Potter. Not being able to talk or get out of bed made her a perfect listener and the boy-who-lived seemed to have a confidence in her she found baffling.

In that first short week, Karmina found out more than she had ever wanted to know about Lord Voldemort. She also discovered the two things that kept both Harry and her father from being happy, two things she desperately wanted to rectify-the deaths of Sirius Black and Albus Dumbledore. The only question was how. . .

A/N: Yes, it's shorter than the first chapter by a considerable amount but I figure since it's coming out a day later than the first chapter, the length is acceptable. Thanks to the two of you who reviewed. I hope to add some more with this chapter. Please tell me what you think; I desperately want to know. Cheers!


	3. A Clear Path

Disclaimer: You know the drill dearies. I only own Karmina. All other characters along with the sub/side plots belong to JK Rowling. The poem "The Truer Knowledge" belongs to Oscar Wilde and again, I would implore you to read the poem in full.

"Thou knowest all; I sit and wait   
With blinded eyes and hands that fail,  
Till the last lifting of the veil  
And the first opening of the gate."

-From "The Truer Knowledge" by Oscar Wilde

"Do you want to talk about it?" Harry asked softly, leaning over her embroidered coverlet. Karmina had woken from a vivid nightmare to see him staring at her in the darkness. With a flick of his wand and a muttered spell, he lit the candle next to her bed. He conjured a piece of parchment and a quill, handing them to her.

_Why are you here? _ She wrote, trying to distract him from his questioning.

"I couldn't sleep and I peeked in to check on you. Remus said you had nightmares." Harry answered with a shrug. She wondered how exactly Remus knew of her nightmares. It wasn't as if he could hear her. "I have had a lot of experience with nightmares; maybe I could help."

_I don't think so. _She wrote with as much finality as she could muster. She hoped he would let the subject die. It had been over a week since she had first awoken in Grimmauld Place. She found out later that she had spent two days in an exhaustion-induced coma. Her father still wouldn't let her up from the bed, however. Part of her thought it was so he could better avoid her. Harry said he was quite busy but she didn't believe him.

"Why not try me?" Harry asked hopefully.

_Why are you so eager? _Karmina wrote, her anger rising. She wanted nothing more than to forget the first sixteen years of her life but no one was letting her. If she had been able to make a sound it would have been an annoyed huff.

"I don't know; you're Remus' daughter which kind of makes us siblings in a skewed kind of way. Remus is the closest thing I have to a father any more."

_Because of Sirius? _She wrote without thinking. Harry nodded sadly.

"Yes, because of Sirius." Karmina bit her bottom lip. She had been wracking her brain about possible solutions. Since Magic was real there must be a way. It had opened beautiful, new possibilities. Deciding to change the subject completely, Karmina again took up the quill.

_Is there a library in this house? _

"Yeah, yeah a big one. It's filled with mostly dark magic books but I could help you if you wanted. Do you like books?"

_I love books. I read as many as I can get my hands on. _The quill fell from her hands and both looked away from each other.

"I could bring you to the library if you'd like. I'll have to ask Remus first but I'm stuck here too for the time being." Harry put in slowly.

_I'd love that. _She wrote, giving him a reassuring smile. As long as they stayed away from the past everything would be alright. There was a small knock on the door and both turned to see Remus Lupin leaning against the doorframe. He looked exhausted, something that did not go unnoticed by either Karmina or Harry.

"And what's this little midnight tête-à-tête?" the aging professor asked. He wasn't sure why the two were spending so much time together and he wasn't quite sure how he felt about it. He didn't even know how to interact with Karmina.

"Karmina was wondering if she could visit the library tomorrow." Harry answered simply. Remus brightened at the suggestion.

"That can definitely be arranged. Do you like books?" He didn't notice the slightly darkened look on his daughter's face as she nodded slowly. "Good, something we have in common." He didn't have to add the "finally" for both knew it was implied. "How about you both try to get some sleep; it's late. I can give you some dreamless sleep potion." It was obvious the offer was directed at both teens. Harry had not been sleeping so well himself over the past couple months.

"Okay," Harry accepted the offer of potion as he headed out of the room.

"It's on the kitchen counter." Remus called after Harry. Both Lupins followed him with their eyes.

"How about you?" Remus asked. Karmina shrugged and Remus left the room to retrieve the potion. She was getting very tired of the numerous potions. She wasn't entirely sure she trusted them. Remus entered a moment later, a vile of potion in his hands. Without thinking, Karmina shook her head. Remus' eyebrows arched. "Okay," he took a seat next to her. "What kind of books do you like?"

_All kinds. _She wrote.

"I have to admit muggle Mystery Novels as guilty pleasures of mine," Remus related mildly.

She bit back a smile and without thinking wrote, _me too_.

"My favorite author is Ian Rankin."

_Good, but I'm partial to Ruth Rend. . . _Karmina started feeling a little sleepy and the quill dropped from her hand. Guessing what had happened, Karmina turned to Remus who was holding an empty vile in his hands and a guilty look on his face. _Bugger _she thought before drifting off into a dreamless sleep.

In conferring with Harry over a pile of very old, dusty books, Karmina found out the reason why Harry was still at Grimmauld Place. His initial intention, of course, had been to go on a solitary hunt to "find a way to defeat Voldemort" was how he put it. He hadn't gone into the particulars with Remus, or Karmina for that matter, holding to his promise to Dumbledore. Remus, accepting the vague answers, at least for the time being, convinced Harry that going into any quest blindly was a decidedly bad idea. Harry had then grudgingly conceded to doing as much research as he could at Grimmauld Place. Remus helped him with what Harry would allow.

Secretly, Harry wished he could tell the professor more; he had always trusted the werewolf. Remus also posessed a keen scent for information. His help would have proved invaluable. Without Remus' help, Harry had to admit the quest for the Horcruxes was not going as well as he had hoped. He had found very few leads but it felt better to be doing something.

Karmina was very secretive about her research as well, something that made Harry slightly nervous. He looked at her over the ever-growing pile of discarded books. Karmina looked slightly ridiculous. Seeing that she didn't have any proper clothes, only the stained, tattered winter duds she'd come wearing, Mrs. Weasley had brought some of Ginny's old clothes. Since Karmina was so small, she received the clothes Ginny had worn at twelve. At the moment, she was wearing a sunshine yellow sundress with lace around the collar. Her curls were thrown up in a messy bun and she had her legs folded underneath her. Her mouth moved slightly as she read, her eyes darting from one side of the page to the other.

Harry studied her out of the corner of his eye, noticing the matching slope of her nose, a trait she shared with Remus. "Anything interesting?" Harry asked. Karmina looked up, slightly dazed. Blinking a couple times, she shook her head. She arched her eyebrows and gestured at his book as if to ask him the same question. Harry rubbed his eyes under his glasses, sliding the book onto the table. "No, it's getting rather annoying actually."

_I wish you'd tell me what exactly you were looking for; then maybe I could help. _She wrote hurriedly, knowing she probably wouldn't be able to help anyway. It had felt good though, to have someone tell her things; it made her feel. . .well. . .human. Harry shook his head slowly.

"I can't tell you. I just. . .can't." Both teens went back to their books. Karmina was coming across a lot of difficulty; much more than she had expected. She had thought that finding the spell or charm would be easy enough. She had expected the actual execution to be the hard part. So far, she had not come across one single spell that would bring a person back from the dead.

**_While bringing someone back from the dead has been deemed impossible, special measures can be taken to assure a person does not die. _** Karmina's eyes froze on the passage. She had been so wrapped up in her own thoughts she had merely glanced over it the first time. **_Use of a Horcrux can ensure that a person does not die as long as the object which stores part of his or her soul remains intact. _**Maybe Sirius and Professor Dumbledore did not die at all. Maybe they had taken this precaution. With shaking hands she wrote Harry a note and slid it across the table.

_Would it have been possible for Professor Dumbledore or Sirius to use a Horcrux? _

The reaction was immediate. Harry slammed shut his book and jumped up from the table, a look of rage dominating his features. At first, he seemed too angry to speak.

"Why would you ask me something like that?" he demanded in an angry hiss. "Answer me!"

Her hands shaking worse than before, Karmina handed Harry the book. He scanned the passage, the look of anger never fading. "Did you happen to see that part?" he asked, pointing at the sentence below what she had read.

**_To secure one's soul in an object requires the act of murder. _**Her eyes widened. She could see why Harry was so angry. All hopes of using Horcruxes to bring Professor Dumbledore or Sirius to life vanished. Her eyes filled with tears; every road led to a dead end. _I'm sorry_ she mouthed and for a moment she thought she had managed to say something. His features softened slightly and sat down in his seat again though he didn't make any move to pick up his book.

"Why are you reading up on Horcruxes?"

Karmina bit her lip; she really didn't want to tell him but figured simply saying she was interested wouldn't work. _How do you know about them? _She asked instead, hoping he would forget about questioning her. His features hardened again though not in anger. She tried to read his features the way she had done so many times with Eldred and Amycus. She had become good at finding out when they were really angry and if that anger was directed at her. She had also been able to sense when they were going to lash out. _Do you think Lord Voldemort could be using them? _She wrote in a flurry. It seemed obvious to her; every evil psycho murder wants everlasting life.

Harry blanched; how would he answer her? Weighing his options, he figured a girl who couldn't talk and wasn't allowed out of Grimmauld Place was the safest person to tell. "I know Voldemort's using Horcruxes. I'm trying to figure out what they are and where he hid them." Harry explained, sighing. He ran a hand over his face. That was all he felt comfortable telling her. "You can't tell anyone, not even your dad." She raised her eyebrows as if to say "like I could".

_I'm glad you told me. _She wrote and meant it too. He had told her and no one else. He trusted her. No one had ever trusted her before; no one had ever taken the time. He gave her a weak smile, still not sure if he had done the right thing. Telling Hermione and Ron was one thing; Karmina was close to a stranger.

"So, Kara," she blushed at the nick name. "Why are you reading up on Horcruxes?"

_Is there any way to bring someone back from the dead? _She wrote, hoping he wouldn't be angry. He stared at her, a look of confusion on his face.

"Why?" he asked softly. She shrugged, looking away. "Well, no. There's no way to bring someone back from the dead. Magic can't solve every problem." From the way he said it, she imagined he had asked the same question of someone at some time. A feeling of devastation grabbed hold of her stomach, sending it plummeting to the floor.

There was no way to bring Professor Dumbledore or Sirius back from the grave.

Harry and Remus attended a "top secret" meeting in the dining room that evening. Not invited and clearly not wanted at the gathering, Karmina opted to spend her evening in the library. She didn't feel up to studying the books though and had, instead, brought her trunk. She hadn't looked through it properly for quite some time. She had always been afraid Eldred and Amycus would discover she could open it and take her precious treasures.

She laid each item out on the carpet in front of the fireplace. There was a tiny china doll with a white face and rosy lips and cheeks. Its blonde, porcelain hair glinted in the firelight. There was an old photograph of a young man and woman with a teenage boy and a little girl. On the back, in a curvy hand the words _The Lynch Family, Majorca _were writtenShe assumed it was her mother's family. There was also a picture of the man she recognized now as her father. He had one armed wrapped around a short woman holding a tiny blanket bundle. At the bottom of the trunk, under a few more pictures and old letters a tiny hourglass gleamed. She brought it out. It had always seemed odd to her that an hourglass had been thrown in with a bunch of family heirlooms.

At the top were tiny buttons. She looked closely at each one in turn: _Seconds, Hours, Years_. When she had examined the instrument before she had assumed it was simply a very sophisticated hourglass. Now, as if struck by a sudden bolt of inspiration she wondered if it might be some sort of magical instrument. She got up, the hourglass still in hand and approached the rows of books. She read each spine, hoping the one she picked wouldn't bite off her hand A sudden burst of courage propelled her.

Finally, she paused in front of a thick, red tome. _**Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of Magical Devices by Sir Reginald Tailor III.** _She pulled the book from the shelf, nearly falling over from its weight. She lugged it over to the table and opened it. Beside each device there was a postage stamp sized picture; underneath the picture Sir Reginald had written a small description of the object along with its most common uses.

She read about Anti-Burglar Buzzers, Foe-Glasses, Self-Correcting Ink, many things that, while interesting, were of no real use to her. She looked up at the clock above the fireplace. It was nearly midnight and she still hadn't made any real progress. For some reason, she didn't feel like showing Remus or Harry the hourglass or her trunk. She packed everything up and slid the book under her arm before going back to her room. She closed the door with a click and hid the trunk under her bed. She could still get some reading in before she went to sleep.

She must have fallen asleep somewhere in the P's for when she woke up the sun was just rising. The Encyclopedia lay open on her chest. She had had a strange dream about Harry and the Horcruxes. Somewhere in the dream, Remus and the short woman with the bubblegum hair had sung karaoke to a song she had heard on the radio. She shuddered and pushed herself up in the bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

By the sun, she guessed it was still early and decided to get at least to S. An hour later she still hadn't found anything and was about to go down to breakfast when she caught sight of a small, gold hourglass. "Time Turner", her eyes widened to the size of saucers as she read further. _**A Time Turner is one of the oldest of magical devices. Though common use of the Time Turner was banned in the mid nineteenth century, several Time Turners are still believed to reside in private residences. The Ministry of Magic has a supply of Time Turners as well and can be accessed through. . .** _Karmina stopped reading. She didn't' need to find the proper arteries through the Ministry; she had one. She scanned the rest of the small article to find how to use it. **_To use the Time Turner, the traveler should secure the device around his or her neck with the use of a chain. The Traveler then should rotate the hourglass backward or foreword depending on which direction in time he or she wishes to go. _**

Her task now seemed perfectly clear. If she could not bring back the Professor and Sirius from the dead, she would go back in time to ensure that they did not die at all.

A/N: So now you know. All isn't going to go as smoothly as she would have liked, however. Please REVIEW and tell your friends if you like this fic. I'm sorry it took so long; there were some technical difficulties with my beta. I don't think it should take as long for the next chapter.


	4. Memories

"And you wait, keep waiting for that one thing  
which would infinitely enrich your life:  
the powerful, uniquely uncommon,  
the awakening of dormant stones,  
depths that would reveal you to yourself.

In the dusk you notice the book shelves  
with their volumes in gold and in brown;  
and you think of far lands you journeyed,  
of pictures and of shimmering gowns  
worn by women you conquered and lost.

And it comes to you all of a sudden:  
That was it! And you arise, for you are  
aware of a year in your distant past  
with its fears and events and prayers."

-Rainer Maria Rilke

Karmina Eileen Lupin was many things, stupid wasn't one of them. She knew that finding the Time Turner was only part of the battle, and a very small part at that. She could not simply turn it and hope she'd land in the right spot. She was going to have to find every detail of the passings of both Sirius and Dumbledore, and the only people who were privy to that information were Harry Potter and Remus Lupin. She could not ask them point blank either; she had seen the pain in their eyes, the loss. Unfortunately, subtle hinting was hard when the whole conversation was written on a piece of parchment.

That was why, as the alarm clock blazed 3:00, Karmina was still awake, gazing fixedly at the ceiling. "5493 bunnies, 5492 bunnies, 5491 bunnies, 5490 bunnies, 5489 bunnies," she silently counted down, forcing thousands of fluffy rabbits over a picket fence. She was beginning to drift off around 5300 when a noise from downstairs pulled her from her semi-sleep. She ran her icy hand over her face, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. Her bathrobe and bunny slippers on, she made her way stealthily downstairs. A light in the kitchen alerted her to the maker of the noise. She stepped in and caught sight of Remus bent over, cradling his foot and hopping up and down.

"Bloody hell," he swore through gritted teeth. Karmina knocked on the doorframe and the wizard looked up, clearly startled. "Oh, Karmina, did I wake you?" Karmina shook her head slowly. "Well, why don't you take a seat. I was making some hot cocoa when I stubbed my toe. Would you like some?" Karmina nodded, this was the most he had talked to her in days.

She watched as he stirred cocoa powder and cinnamon into steaming milk. There was a tenderness in his slow, organized movements. A small smile spread over her lips as she glimpsed a much younger Remus, painstakingly adding ingredients to a bubbling cauldron. He threw a look over his shoulder, still stirring the mixture. "What are you smiling about?" She tried to say something but frowned, the barrier still there. Noticing the look on her face, Remus turned back to the sauce pan. "It's okay, I'm sure you'll get it back."

But Karmina wasn't so sure. She didn't know by what power she had been made mute so how could she go about getting it back? With all that was in her, she focused solely on speaking. Looking back, she would wonder why she hadn't tried it before. It was only natural for her to have gained some authority, some power over her magic. When she was young, her magic had controlled her, had worked to protect her. It was only waiting for her to need her voice again, to ask for it back. Unfortunately, she didn't have the benefit of hindsight to still the shock.

Her first word was so quiet she didn't fully believe she'd said anything at all. Remus barely heard it. It was hardly as eloquent as she would have liked but something about its mere existence was. . .exquisite. "Dad." The power in it took Remus' breath away. Feeling the weight he had never known a word to posses, he realized it was the first word he had ever heard her speak.

"What did you say?" he forced out finally, abandoning the hot cocoa on the stove.

"D-d-dad," she repeated, barely believing it herself. "I-it came back!" she exclaimed, touching her throat gently. Remus pulled her up from her chair and spun her around the room.

"You did it!" he cried gleefully. He pulled her into a tight hug, her head barely tickling his chin. Tears were falling from both their eyes when they sat down.

"The cocoa's scalded," she laughed.

"Wha-? Oh, the cocoa," Remus flicked his wand at the stove distractedly, not taking his eyes off his daughter. She shrunk under his intense gaze.

"That was the first word I've ever heard you speak."

"Yeah?. . . Dad, can I ask you a question?" Even as Karmina was saying the words, she knew it was a bad idea but everything poured out so fast. She felt anticipation bubbling up inside her.

"Of course, you can ask me anything Mina."

"Sirius, how did Sirius die?" she immediately regretted her words as the light in his face darkened. He was silent for a moment.

"W-why do you want to know about S-Sirius?" He studied his hands, rubbing one of his knuckles with his fore-finger.

"I, well . . . I guess I was-am curious."

"Oh. . . fell through the veil," Remus answered in a far away voice. "Just fell through the veil and no one could-could get him back. There was no warning, just fell, stumbled, wrong step . . . Bellatrix." The pain Karmina had seen in his eyes before paled compared to the mix of emotions he exuded, hopelessness being the most prominent.

"I'm sorry I asked. I'm very tired," she cut in, touching his hand gently.

"Yes, maybe we should both go to bed- lots to talk about in the morning." He forced a smile. Filled with guilt, Karmina turned to the door, ready to go up to bed. "Mina," he said suddenly from his seat at the table, causing her to turn. "It's so good to hear your voice."

Karmina could only give him a small smile before heading back up to her room. How could she now find out what she wanted to find out? Going to Remus was clearly a bad idea, even if she could do so subtly. Then there was a small part of her that didn't want to ruin the relationship. He seemed to see her speaking as a renewal, a do-over and she didn't want to compromise the situation further than she already had.

At half past five, she was again stirred from fitful slumber. Wanting to hear what the low voices were saying, she poked her head out the door. "Sure Remus, the Pensieve is in the Library. Any particular reason you want to use it?" Harry asked, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"Rough night," Remus answered evasively. "Thanks Harry." Before either could see her, Karmina dove back into her room. What was a Pensieve? Why did her father want to use it? She pulled the Encyclopedia from under her bed. She had taken to studying it further after finding the Time Turner. She flipped to the P's and was met with a drawing of what looked to her like a birdbath. She read on and immediately understood. He was using it because of what _she _had done.

It didn't occur to her immediately but instead waited until she was nearly back to sleep. She could _watch _Sirius die for herself! The plan seemed to be forming very quickly. She again donned her bathrobe and slippers and tiptoed down the hall. She peaked into her father's room, the door cracked. Remus was sitting on the side of his bed, head cradled in his hands. She continued toward the library. Upon arriving, she caught sight of it immediately, sitting on the coffee table in the middle of the room. She crossed the room and stood above it, gazing into the shimmering liquid. She bent forward to get a closer look, closer and closer till her nose was touching the water. Before she knew what was happening, she was falling into a sort of tunnel.

She hit a dirt covered floor and was surprised she wasn't hurt. Gingerly getting to her feet, she looked around. A very strange procession progressed in front of her, down a dimly lit, muddy tunnel. She recognized Hermione, Ron, Harry, and her father. That left three others: an unconscious man with long, oily locks, his head lolling, a short, fat, rat-like man held at wand-point, and a strikingly handsome man with long, tangled hair. Even through the grime and dirt, a brilliance shown through him. She assumed this was Sirius Black and wondered if this was when he died. She walked closer, hoping to hear what they were saying.

_'You're free,' said Harry._

_'Yes. . .' said Sirius 'But I'm also-I don't know if anyone ever told you-I'm your godfather.'_

_'Yeah, I knew that,' said Harry._

_'Well. . .your parents appointed me your guardian,' said Sirius stiffly. 'If anything happened to them. . .I'll understand of course, if you want to stay with your aunt and uncle. But. . .well. . .think about it. Once my name's cleared. . .if you wanted a. . .a different home. . .'_

_'What-live with you?' Harry said, accidentally cracking his head on a bit of rock protruding from the ceiling. 'Leave the Dursleys?'_

_'Of course, I thought you wouldn't want to,' said Sirius quickly. 'I understand. I just thought I'd-'_

_'Are you mad?' said Harry, his voice easily as croaky as Sirius'. 'Of course I want to leave the Dursleys! Have you got a house? When can I move in?'_

_'You want to?' Sirius said. 'You mean it?' _

_'Yeah, I mean it!' said Harry. _

Karmina tiptoed behind them though she was now quite sure they could neither see nor hear her. They were moving toward a stair and doing so fairly silently. Her father followed a cat and holding the rat-like man at wand point. Sirius, Harry, and the greasy man brought up the rear. Nothing more was said till they emerged into the dark grounds. Karmina caught sight of a castle looming in the distance.

_'One wrong move, Peter,' said Lupin threateningly, ahead. His wand still pointed sideways at Pettigrew's chest. _

Karmina walked on, absorbed in her own thoughts when she suddenly felt a peculiar sensation. The hair on her arms stood on end and a low growl escaped her throat. Her blood flow became faster and her heart beat became stronger. She looked up at the sky where the moon had emerged. Her eyes snapped to her father.

_He had gone rigid. Then his limbs began to shake._

_'Oh my-' Hermione gasped. 'He didn't take his Potion tonight! He's not safe!'_

_'Run,' Sirius whispered. 'Run! Now!'_

_But Harry couldn't run. Ron was chained to Pettigrew and Lupin. He leapt forward but Sirius caught him around the chest and threw him back. _

_'Leave it to me-RUN!'_

_There was a terrible snarling noise. Lupin's head was lengthening. So was his body. His shoulders were hunching. Hair was sprouting visibly on his face and hands, which were curling into clawed paws. Crookshanks' fur was on end again, he was backing away-_

_As the werewolf reared, snapping its long jaws, Sirius disappeared from Harry's side. He had transformed. The enormous bear-like dog bounded forwards. As the werewolf wrenched itself free of the manacle binding it, the dog seized it about the neck and pulled it backwards, away from Ron and Pettigrew. They were locked, jaw to jaw, claws ripping at each other-. . ._

_Pettigrew had dived from Lupin's dropped wand. Ron, unsteady on his bandaged leg, fell. There was a bang, a burst of light-and Ron lay motionless on the ground. Another bang-Crookshanks flew into the air and back to the earth in a heap._

'_Expelliarmus!' Harry yelled, pointing his own wand at Pettigrew; Lupin's wand flew high into the air and out of sight. 'Stay where you are!' Harry shouted, running forwards._

_Too late. Pettigrew had transformed. Harry saw his bald tail whip through the manacle on Ron's outstretched arm, and heard a scurrying through the grass. _

_There was a howl and a rumbling growl; Harry turned to see the werewolf taking flight; it was galloping into the Forest-_

'_Sirius, he's gone, Pettigrew transformed!' Harry yelled. _

Karmina stood, rooted to the spot, hoping to hear more from Harry or Sirius but the landscape around her was quickly fading into a grayish mass. She was pulled toward the forest where her father had disappeared. She bolted after him and plunged into the brush. She followed his distinct smell, aided by the illuminated path toward him. Something animal had awakened inside of her, something that felt oddly familiar. She found him, growling at the underbrush underneath a tree. She hurried to his side and looked down at a shivering rat.

It was there where the memory ended and she felt herself pulling from the pensieve. She looked around the library, too stunned for anything she had just seen to fully sink in. Not knowing what else to do, Karmina collapsed into a chair. The vision seemed to have complicated rather than brought light to the situation. How _did _Sirius die? Who was the bald man her father had cornered? Her eyes wandered around the room, looking for answers. She caught sight of a large album on the coffee table. Not thinking about what could happen, she picked it up. With shaking hands, she flipped open the cover and was met with the manically laughing face of Sirius Black.

She turned her eyes to the article and read it in full, drinking in the new information. _Ex-auror, Sirius Black, was caught November first after he went after one, Peter Pettigrew on a muggle street. His traitor status had been uncovered mere hours before when he betrayed Lily and James Potter, his best friend, to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, leaving Harry Potter, their infant son, an orphan. According to another of the Potter's close friends, Remus Lupin, Sirius was also young Harry's Godfather. In a tragic sequence of events, the Potters were not the only ones to perish at the hands of a manic Black. Peter Pettigrew, having fought bravely, died, leaving only his finger behind. When aurors apprehended Black, he was in near-hysterics, laughing like a mad-man, his face contorted as he muttered unintelligbly to himself. Unfortunately, neither Black, nor the Head of the Auror Department could be reached for comment. _

Below the cut out article and the picture of black, a shimmering picture of the bald man from the memory appeared. Though definitely younger and a good deal thinner, he was no Casanova. Peter Pettigrew was the caption underneath. The pieces were falling into place and Karmina flipped the page to reveal another cut-out article. There must have been dozens, all attempting to probe into the "twisted" mind of Sirius Black. After a long sequence of articles like these, she was again met with the hysterically laughing moving image of Sirius from the first picture. This time, it was accompanied with the heading: **Escape from Azkaban**. She read the article though it didn't tell her much more than she already knew. She did, however, get the year. She flipped through the scrap book further and fell on particularly large heading: **Black Eludes Ministry Yet Again**.

After finishing the article, she fell against the back of the couch. That must have been the night she'd seen in the memory. There were things that just did not make any sense. Why, if Black had betrayed Harry's parents, would Remus be grieving so much? For that matter, why would Harry be grieving at all? There was also the Pettigrew issue. If Sirius had killed him, why did she see him that night? Hoping against hope for more answers, she flipped the page and fell on, not a newspaper clipping, but a letter. It was written in small, messy scrawl.

_Moony,_

_I know you must want me dead. I would feel the same in your position. I just want you to read through this letter, even if you don't end up believing a word I say. Pettigrew was the one who betrayed Prongs and Lily. He was their Secret Keeper, I swear. I'm not saying that none of it was my fault; I should have seen it coming. Anyway, I just wanted you to know that I didn't kill Pettigrew. The coward must have transformed at the last second, cutting off his own goddamn finger before going down into the gutters like a common sewer rat. Though, had he not done so, I certainly would have killed him. Please believe me._

_Your friend,_

_Paddy_

Karmina let the book fall from her hands. Everything was perfectly clear. The key to making everything right was not finding when Sirius died. The key was righting the wrong of that night. She had to go back to the night when everything went wrong. She had to go and make sure the rat didn't escape.

A/N: I know it's been an inordinately long time. I have to admit I was a bit discouraged at the meager amount of reviews I received. I hope you like it and if you do (or if you really hate it and want to tell me so) please REVIEW!!!!

Cheers!

Ellie


	5. The Beginning of the End

Disclaimer: You know the drill; I own Karmina and little else. If you don't recognize a character, it's probably mine and the rest belong to JK Rowling. The poem at the beginning belongs to Richard Hovey. R&R! By the way, I made a small error in one of the previous chapters. The time turner Karmina has includes years, months and days.

"_Hail!  
Ye monstrous Glooms!  
Formless Forms!  
Known and Unknown!  
To what avail  
Through strifes and storms,  
Athwart the Sea that bellows and booms  
In the ear  
With the threatening of dire dooms,   
Strove I once alone."_

_-By Richard Hovey from "The Quest of Merlin"_

After her realization, Karmina found she couldn't sleep. Every time she tried, she would wake with a tightening in her chest that left her breathless. The task loomed in front of her, growing bigger and bigger as the hours went on till she could barely stand it. She looked over at the clock on her bedside table, reading 7:30 in glowing letters. She would do it that day, as soon as she knew for sure no one would burst in on her. The steps to her plan ran through her head in a loop. First, she needed to get Harry's Invisibility Cloak and somehow snag a wand. Though she didn't really know how to use it, she thought it would be incredibly stupid to go into the past unarmed. She would return to her room and put the time turner around her neck, rotating it four turns on the year setting then two on the month setting before turning it another 4 days. The event had taken place at night so she figured she would need to lie low for a few hours before finding Harry. Following her father would be entirely too difficult as his sense of smell would be able to detect her, despite the invisibility cloak.

Her soul goal was to make sure the rat didn't escape like he obviously had that night. She was confident that the werewolf blood in her would at least partially protect her from Remus. And, on the off chance that he did get to her, she wouldn't mind living out the rest of her days as a werewolf. She took a few deep breaths before getting out from the tangle of her sheets; she had worked herself into a nice mess on the bed. She heard the sounds of breakfast being prepared and headed toward the kitchen.

"Hello Dad," she greeted softly, not crossing the threshold. He looked over and smiled weakly. He had dark circles under his eyes and the gray in his hair seemed more prominent but he didn't look entirely upset.

"Good morning dearest. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes," she lied, walking in. In a rare show of daring, she crossed the distance between them and placed her arms hesitantly around his waist, drinking in the smell of him. Somehow, the knowledge that she was going to make everything all right made her feel more connected to him and certainly more deserving of his affection. He squeezed her shoulder in return.

"Why don't you go get Harry. Breakfast is nearly ready and he has to meet with some aurors today." Karmina nodded and trudged up to Harry's room. He seemed to have no problem sleeping, his snores echoing into the hallway. She stepped cautiously onto the carpeted floor, dodging the dirty laundry that was scattered about. She stood next to him for what felt like ten minutes, hoping her mere presence would rouse him. She quickly realized that his ability to sleep was due largely to the gigantic empty vile on his bedside table. Finally summing up the courage, she poked him in the arm, much more assertively than she had intended.

"What happened?" he asked, bolting up in his bed sheets.

"Sorry to startle you, but breakfast is almost ready and you have a meeting-"

"With some aurors yeah. I'll be out in a minute okay?" Karmina nodded and hurried to the door. "Wait! Wait! Karmina, were you speaking?" he asked, rushing to her side, only to discover he was without pajamas. He danced behind her, trying to keep the sheet around his waist. She turned to see his blushing face, a grin spread across her lips.

"Yeah, it came back last night."

"That's great!" Harry exclaimed, throwing his arms around her neck. The sheet fell and he withdrew his embrace like she had shocked him.

"I'll leave you to dressing yeah?"

"Right, yeah that would be good." Karmina left the room, trying to muffle her laughter with her fist. "I hear you laughing!"

"Sorry!" she called back, bolting out of the room and down the stairs.

"Why are you laughing?" Remus asked, setting three plates on the table.

"Me? Nothing, it's nothing. Harry should be down in a minute." Remus cocked his eyebrows skeptically but didn't say anymore until Harry came down the stairs, still blushing ruby red.

"'Morning Harry."

"Good Morning Moony." Remus noticed Harry was pointedly avoiding looking at Karmina.

"Did you hear Karmina got her voice back?"

"Yeah, that's great! Really, it was a huge surprise though."

"It was a shock for me too, a good surprise though. Are you nervous about your meeting?"

"With the Aurors?" Harry asked, rubbing the back of his neck. "Not really, I just have to tell them not to meddle with what I'm doing and that I'll need their assistance but I won't tell them a thing. No, of course I'm not nervous."

"Well when you put it that way. . ." Remus trailed off, a grin coming to his lips despite himself.

"I don't have much of an appetite," Harry said, pushing his plate away.

"You really should eat something."

"I don't think that's a very good idea Moony. I don't want to add insult to injury when I loose my breakfast on the aurors do I?"

"It won't be that bad; Tonks will be there."

"Really? I'll be sure to give her your regards." Harry raised his eyebrows suggestively, causing Remus' face to turn the color of a radish.

"You should probably get going yeah?"

"Yeah, I should." Harry agreed, looking at his wrist watch. He got up to leave, straightening his robes.

"Good Luck Harry," Remus said quickly before Harry apparated with a pop. "Well, I think the end of Harry's meeting and your voice coming back deserves a bit of a celebration. Would you like for me to floo the Weasleys, perhaps have them come over for supper?" Karmina nodded, trying to think how she was going to get enough time alone.

"Dad, you're exhausted. Why don't you go up to bed and I'll clean up down here. No really, it's the least I can do. We still have some dreamless sleep potion and I'll make sure to wake you when Harry returns." Remus looked hesitant but his fatigue quickly swept away any argument he could have. She was sixteen after all and quite capable of handling herself. "Come on, you'll feel much better."

"Alright, I guess I will. Make sure you do wake me when Harry comes back and if you need anything-"

"I'll wake you; I promise."

"Okay, oh, and Mina"

"Yes?"

"I was wondering if you could maybe tell me about where you've been for the past fifteen years." Karmina's back tensed and she felt the blood drain from her face but she forced herself to nod her head.

"Y-yeah," she stammered, turning to the sink and turning on the faucet, letting the warm water run over her fingers.

"I l-love you Mina."

"Love you too Dad." Karmina didn't trust herself to turn before she heard Remus' bedroom door close. Despite the warm water, Karmina felt cold, freezing actually. She tried her best to shake it, however, because she had a lot to do.

She finished the breakfast dishes, trying her best not to think about the last time she'd done dishes. Once everything was in its place, she tiptoed up the stairs passed Remus' room and into Harry's. She glanced at the neon alarm clock on his bedside table and breathed a small sigh of relief. Harry had said he wouldn't be back before noon and it was only 9:30. As quietly as she could, she opened the trunk at the foot of his bed. She nearly gagged when she found a pair of rank, fetid athletic socks sitting on top of a History of Magic text book. Flicking the socks out of the way, she rooted around, finally finding what she was looking forward at the very bottom.

She drew the silvery fabric from the trunk, savoring the feeling of it running through her fingers. She had read about invisibility cloaks of course but it was unreal to actually have one in her hands. Looking around furtively, she pulled the cloak around her shoulders and looked at the mirror over his chest of drawers. She nearly gasped, looking at her floating head. "Wow," she breathed, touching her arm to make sure it was still there. "Wow".

It took a little while to get over the shock but a look at clock spurred her into action. The only thing she had left to do was find a wand. Since wizards did not tend to leave these lying around and the only wizard she knew in the house was her father, she was left with only one course of action. She had heard from Harry that her father was an extremely light sleeper, and hoped the years of silence would come in handy.

As quietly as she could, she walked down the hall to her father's room. After making sure the invisibility cloak fully covered her, she tiptoed into the room. His wand sat on his bedside table next to a glass of water and an empty vile. She crept over to his bedside and picked up the wand with trembling fingers. God willing, she would have it back to him by the end of the day. Not being able to resist it, she leaned down and gave him a soft kiss on the temple. He stirred but did not wake and she hurried out the door.

She straightened Harry's room, making sure that nothing was left disturbed. She didn't need him to find out what had happened automatically. Her anticipation growing, she hurried to her room where the Time Turner lay under her bed, safely hidden from prying eyes.

She looked in the mirror beside her bureau and smiled. She had filled out slightly and the bruise on her face was finally fading. She pulled on a pair of too-big jeans that Mrs. Weasley had sent over along with a green, cotton jumper. She braided her long hair and tucked the wand in her pocket. Trying to find something useful, she looked around the room. Her eyes fell on the picture of her family, the one with her father and mother, holding her. She pocketed it as well and drew the time turner from underneath her bed. She threw the invisibility cloak over her shoulders and flicked the "year" switch, rotating it slowly four times. She then flipped it to "months" and went back two months and finally flicked it to "days" turning the hourglass back four.

The journey took much less time than she had anticipated and, before she knew it, she collided with the wood floor of her room. For a moment, she thought she had not gone anywhere, that the time turner had malfunctioned. The absence of her chest of drawers clued her in though. Truth-be-told, this part of her plan wasn't exactly fleshed out. She had planned how to get back in time and what to do once at Hogwarts but the transportation from Grimmauld Place _to _Hogwarts was the question.

She sat on the bed, not knowing quite what to do. "Well, at least I have a couple of hours," she murmured to herself. A crash from down the hall nearly made her jump out of her skin. She quickly put the invisibility cloak back on and, with trembling hands, opened the door and peaked out. A man with a long, white beard was brushing soot off his robes. He was walking out of the library followed closely by a tall, oily man with a hooked, crooked nose.

"Well, the mood of the place has improved slightly since I was last here," the old man said softly.

"I know Black is stupid but you don't honestly think he would hide in his own house do you sir?" Karmina's ears perked up. This was Sirius' house; Remus had said something like that hadn't he? As quietly as she could, she eased out of the room, set on following the two.

"No Severus, I don't think he's hiding out here. He might have stopped here to get a wand or money though. You never know. Now I do not want to be here all afternoon. I would greatly like to be out of here by three o'clock. I've no doubt that Hagrid will very much need a friend tonight." Karmina saw the greasy man grin evilly and though she did not know who Hagrid was or why he would need a friend, she already knew she didn't like the hook-nosed git.

"How exactly are we returning to the grounds sir? I was under the impression that the floo networks were blocked."

"Indeed they have been, everywhere but in my office though I monitor that network very closely. Now let's get down to business here."

"Why am I here sir?"

"I thought, Severus, that that would have been painfully obvious. No? You are the most likely to find something because you most _want _to find something. Look into any rooms that look recently disturbed, safes open. If my memory serves me, Mrs. Black kept spare money in the drawing room." The two wizards continued down the hall and Karmina followed closely on their heals. She'd had only limited experience with floo but she knew it was her only option. She hoped she'd be able to come through before the old man would notice. She assumed he was Dumbledore and she could immediately tell why he was so missed. He emanated power but also "goodness".

Before she knew it, the search was completed and the two visibly defeated wizards returned to the library. "You go first Severus. Here, have a pinch," Dumbledore offered him a small, purple pouch. Severus took a pinch and threw it in the fire; stepping into the licking, green flames, he said "Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts," and disappeared in a swirl. "Oh dear, oh dear, what am I to do?" he murmured. He then took a pinch and threw them into the flames but before he could step in, Karmina dove in, whispering "Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts."

"Blast! It happened again; I really need to talk to Deidre about her supply," Dumbledore muttered, taking another pinch and hoped this time it would work. As he stepped into his office, Severus had already left, returning to the dark and dreary confines of the dungeons. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw something dart by but it was gone the next moment. "This is certainly a strange day," he muttered, tugging pensively on the tip of his beard.

Karmina felt her blood pulse through her veins, worrying that the old man, Dumbledore, would be able to hear her deafening heart beat. She was sure he had seen her, and she closed her eyes, bracing herself against the inevitable. After a moment, however, when he had not approached her and had instead taken a seat behind his enormous desk, she breathed a sigh of relief and softly tiptoed out of the room. Now she had to find Harry. The halls were still rather busy and she found it quite difficult to wade through the endless sea of students. She nearly laughed out loud when she stepped on a boy's foot only to have him turn, irate, to the girl behind him who happened to be his younger sister.

"Viola! That hurt!"

"For your information Michael, I didn't do anything," she shot back, sticking out her tongue.

"You're so immature!"

Karmina continued down the hall, craning her neck for any sign of Harry. She caught sight of him; he seemed perturbed and was walking quickly down the hall. She sprinted to catch up with him and shadowed his rapid strides untill he finally stopped before a large portrait of a very fat woman. He whispered a word she didn't catch and the portrait swung open, allowing him inside. She stepped in just in time before it closed behind her. Harry walked over to Ron and Hermione. By the time she made her way to his side, they were deep in conversation, lines of anxiety straining Harry's face. She inched nearer to them, straining her ears to hear.   
_'We've got to go. He can't sit there on his own waiting for the executioner!' Harry said, a bit of an urgent whine creeping into his voice._

_'Sunset though. We'd never be allowed. . . specially you, Harry. . .' Ron added._

_'If we only had the Invisibility Cloak.' _Karmina's spine froze at this but she forced herself to listen.

_'Where is it?' Hermione asked._

_'. . . if Snape sees me anywhere near there again, I'm in serious trouble,' Harry said. _

_'That's true,' said Hermione, getting to her feet. 'If he sees you. . . how do you open the witch's hump again?'_

_'You-you tap it and say, "Dissendium",' said Harry. 'But-' _

Before Harry could finish, Hermione strode out, leaving the way Harry and Karmina had come in. Harry and Ron stayed where they were.

_'She hasn't gone to get it?' _Ron asked, his eyebrows disappearing behind the fringe of his ginger bangs. Harry shrugged, looking after her, worried.

A/N: I know this is hopelessly late but I hope you liked it. The next one should come out sometime in the next couple weeks. Happy Knowing-When-Deadly Hallows-Comes-Out-Day!


End file.
